Guwahati, March 23: Swift intervention by the Indian Army averted a potential disaster after unexploded ordnance was recovered following a militant attack on a police camp in Assam’s Tinsukia district.
Specialised bomb disposal teams from the Army’s Red Shield Sappers were rushed to Jagun after reports of unexploded rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) rounds near an Assam Police Commando camp. The explosives, believed to have been left behind after the assault, posed a serious threat to civilians in the surrounding tea garden areas.
Acting in coordination with the Assam Rifles, security personnel secured the site, established safety perimeters, and carried out a detailed assessment. The ordnance was later shifted to a designated safe zone and destroyed in a controlled operation, ensuring no collateral damage. Officials said the timely action prevented possible casualties and safeguarded nearby habitations in the sensitive belt along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.
The recovery followed a pre-dawn attack around 2 am on Sunday at Jagun 10 Mile, where suspected militants of ULFA (Independent) allegedly hurled multiple grenades at the camp before opening fire. Security forces retaliated immediately, leading to an exchange that lasted nearly 30 minutes before the attackers retreated.
Four Assam Police commandos were injured in the gunfight, including one who sustained serious injuries. They were shifted to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
The outfit later claimed responsibility for the attack, prompting heightened security across Upper Assam. Joint search operations by the Army and Assam Police are ongoing to track down those involved, with additional deployments in the region.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the incident, describing it as “highly condemnable,” and said counter-insurgency operations had been launched. He asserted that those responsible would be apprehended.
Security agencies said forces remain on high alert as efforts continue to maintain stability in the region.
